BIG X Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 Can anyone shed light on why The Airfix Bedford MWD shows a paint scheme with RED & WHITE wheels nuts - as seen here... It is probably a daft question - but vehicles are not my normal area of work. Thanks in advance for any pertinent information - Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 I remember this from a jeep when I was a child, and IIRC the answer is this The wheel has two halves to the wheel, which are bolted together, but also holes to hold wheel on, so to avoid problems, the red ones hold the two halves of the wheel together, white are the ones to remove when you take the wheel off. HTH 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malpaso Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 I seem to recall different colours meant different checking regimes? Something like red = check daily, white = check weekly and so forth. Certainly I've seen white patches on Army Land Rover diff casings, though maybe that's to better show leaks? Cheers Will 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 7 minutes ago, malpaso said: I seem to recall different colours meant different checking regimes? Something like red = check daily, white = check weekly and so forth. Certainly I've seen white patches on Army Land Rover diff casings, though maybe that's to better show leaks? Cheers Will Hi Will.I believe the white diffs were for night convoy driving without main light's, you often see 3 tonners with a white disc on the chassis. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorby Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 13 hours ago, BIG X said: Can anyone shed light on why The Airfix Bedford MWD shows a paint scheme with RED & WHITE wheels nuts - as seen here... I'm glad you've pointed it out Big X. I've just done a different version of this kit and the painting instructions didn’t show this detail (or I didn't notice, which is just a likely). So it's going back to the work-bench. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcrfan Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 Red = drivers don't bl***y touch or you could get hurt. White = take these off to change wheel. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 Agree with the first post and the one above about the nuts holding the split rims together and those holding the wheel to the hub. In theory the scheme is still in use on split-rim wheels, which are less common than they used to be. But the red is often omitted and just the white ones painted. Of course with the regulatory requirement for wheel nut indicators - even on military vehicles - identifying the "wheel nuts" is even easier now. It was very much a UK thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted May 6, 2017 Author Share Posted May 6, 2017 Thanks Everyone - super informative as always - now all I need is my magnifying glass - thinnest brush - a steady hand... ... or maybe just some mud to cover them up... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mancunian airman Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Would this apply to all wartime vehicles ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Jones Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 1 hour ago, Mancunian airman said: Would this apply to all wartime vehicles ??? Many wartime vehicles only seem to have the red [ danger ] nuts painted , the" white" nuts being left in camouflage colour , Obviously this will not apply to all vehicles so if possible check photographic evidence. Andrew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mancunian airman Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Thanks for the clarification Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okdoky Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 On 5/6/2017 at 9:25 AM, BIG X said: Thanks Everyone - super informative as always - now all I need is my magnifying glass - thinnest brush - a steady hand... ... or maybe just some mud to cover them up... You could undo them, paint them, then do them up again ! I will get my coat ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Starmer Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 Yes, it did apply in wartime, especially in this period when many soldiers couldn't drive and knew very little about vehicle maintenance. Basic knowledge about vehicles was not so commonplace as it is today. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpion Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 And there was me thinking Hornby were just hoping to shift their stock of red and white paint a bit more quickly 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fewr9fkr9595 Posted May 18, 2017 Share Posted May 18, 2017 On 4 May 2017 at 23:24, stevej60 said: Hi Will.I believe the white diffs were for night convoy driving without main light's, you often see 3 tonners with a white disc on the chassis. True. There is a small light that shines onto the white disc or painted diff. Latest MAN trucks have a shield shape plate with a white cross on it. Small covered light in the centre 👍🏿 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted May 30, 2017 Author Share Posted May 30, 2017 ...well I took the plunge and painted my nuts red and white... I did need a magnifying glass though - take a look here... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorby Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 38 minutes ago, BIG X said: ..well I took the plunge and painted my nuts red and white... I did need a magnifying glass though - take a look here... Are those sort of photos allowed on BM? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted May 30, 2017 Author Share Posted May 30, 2017 4 minutes ago, Gorbygould said: Are those sort of photos allowed on BM? That's why viewer discretion is advised 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzn20 Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 Remove the red nuts and get prepared for a head full of high speed wheel flange followed by your Funeral...Don't be late ! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andygif290368 Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Hmm, I don't think you could remove the red nuts and have the rim explode off, as soon as you'd start to loosen them the air would begin to leak and you'd know your being a nominated for a Darwin. Though if any of you feel like demonstrating it's possible to remove the nuts and have the rim explode off, please post the video so the health and safety audit can use it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzn20 Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 2 hours ago, andygif290368 said: Hmm, I don't think you could remove the red nuts and have the rim explode off, as soon as you'd start to loosen them the air would begin to leak and you'd know your being a nominated for a Darwin. Though if any of you feel like demonstrating it's possible to remove the nuts and have the rim explode off, please post the video so the health and safety audit can use it. They already have...We were watching them in 1970 in Training. Flight safety Warning posters in Hangars, workshops and Tyre Bays. Somebody was killed not long ago doing that very thing. Always best to observe safety precautions , there for a reason, Red nuts for a reason. Wonder what happens if I do this is a killer. What happens if its inner tubed? Same pressure no leaking air ? They don't always come flying off in one lump either, flying shattered split rims/split flange. No offence intended but you'd be an interesting guy to work with. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonM Posted August 22, 2017 Share Posted August 22, 2017 A while back I went to a tyre fitter who had a large off road tyre blow as he inflated it at a wind farm site. No safety equipment in use, he was lucky to be blown backwards with only abrasions, as it blew he threw his arm across his eyes which possibly saved his eyesight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted August 22, 2017 Share Posted August 22, 2017 1 hour ago, GordonM said: A while back I went to a tyre fitter who had a large off road tyre blow as he inflated it at a wind farm site. No safety equipment in use, he was lucky to be blown backwards with only abrasions, as it blew he threw his arm across his eyes which possibly saved his eyesight. That fitter needs a slap you NEVER do that. If you haven't got a cage put the tyre on the ground inflate it slowly in stages checking the bead lines are even all round. Once you've got it bedded both sides lie it flat and stand in the hub while you get it to pressure. It's the safest place to be. Back to the original the white markings were meant to be applied at ALL times. Trucks aren't fighting vehicles so any camouflage compromise is minimal. If a fitter/driver needed to work on the wheel first job is wiping all the nuts clean. The red ones aren't touched but the white ones were checked for tightness daily as was the tyre pressure. Any drop of more than a couple of psi or visible damage and you fetched the tyre specialist. Even today truck drivers do the same check indicators, tyre walls, pressures and object trapped between dual-wheels. But anything amiss needs specialist attention. The reason there are so many blown tyres on the major roads is drivers not bothering and hoping that everything's fine. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayprit Posted August 22, 2017 Share Posted August 22, 2017 When I was in the army, BAOR in particular(1960-1975), very rare to see painted wheelnuts, I drove Armoured vehicles, amphibitious vehicles, soft skin vehicles..........I personally did paint wheel nuts on one occasion and that was for an open day at a German Barracks....I had a brand new Stalwart, no mileage on the clock, bright bronze green, I polished with car polish and I thought white and red would look nice as a contrast on the wheels....out of 14 stalwarts, mine was the only one with pretty nuts. In those days exercises were plentyful and going through mud, swamps, forests, etc, etc, last thing anyone wanted to do after an exercise was paint wheel nuts. Occasionally you may see Ferrets with the odd painted nuts, but it was a rarety. As for inflating tyres, it wasnt till late 60s that cages started appearing. We had 1 fatality and numerous injuries through split rims blowing apart when inflating....one of our hanger roofs had an indentation of a split rim embedded in it from when a tyre blew apart..........one person with a bedford RL tyre flat on the ground inflated his tyre, one foot in the centre of the wheel and the other resting firmly on the wall of the tyre ---------the tyre inflater in the valve neck which he held with his hand...........tyre came apart!!!! Split rim took his leg off.........it wasnt long before tyre cages started to arrive 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted August 22, 2017 Share Posted August 22, 2017 I recall seeing the red/white nuts on Bedfords at Warminster, probably mid seventies. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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